Bound to Hogwarts

Disclaimer: Nothing but this plot belongs to me. This is not being redistributed for money or any sort of profit. Everything goes to its rightful owner(s)

Author's Note (1): Hermione's a tad bit emotional, yes? ;)

Author's Note (2): Enjoy!

Chapter 6: Don't Cry!

Hermione didn't understand why she was crying. It was just a stupid hideout anyway. It was just a bunch of fallen rocks that could give away at anytime and kill her. Just a small secluded corner where no one went because it brought up too many bad memories. But it was her's.

She didn't want him there. No, she didn't even want the bastard alive. But, of course, the fates seemed to hate Harry and so Dark Lord-in-training comes back. Of course.

"I was walking and I foun- Oh god, please don't cry!" Riddle exclaimed when he saw her tears.

Even the Dark Lord isn't immune to a girl's tears.

Somehow, that made her cry harder. Why wouldn't it?

~-0-~

Tom was at a loss.

Never had a girl ever burst into tears. Well, not over something like this anyway. Plenty of girls had when he'd rejected them during his school years. It was unnerving to his 14-year-old self when it seemed. And even at 22, it still is.

He never liked how it unnerved him, but he always pushed it to the side saying it was a problem for men in general.

Deciding it was best to not say anything, he kept quiet.

This only made it worse.

"What the hell is wrong with you!" Hermione yelled. It wasn't a question.

"This is my spot!" she continued, "Mine!" It took more self-control than it should have not to laugh at her toddler-like tantrum.

"For once, I'd love a little privacy- but NO! No, no, no, everyone has to bother the brains of the Golden Trio! Not that she has anything else to do of course!" He pursed his lips to not laugh.

"Merlin, can't I have nothing to myself in this place!" He had to bite his cheek now.

"First it's the stupid paparazzi! Then the students and their parents! Harry is used to it and Ron loves it, the prat!" The metallic taste of blood hit his tongue when skin broke.

"I finally get this spot, and even this is crawling with the leftovers of Dark Magic and it has rocks crumbling everywhere and- Are you laughing at me?" Hermione screeched the last part.

"I-I-Oh Merlin- I'm so-sorry!" he choked out between laughs, "So so-sorry!" He clearly wasn't.

"Stop laughing at me!" Hermione snapped, but that only made him laugh harder. His laughter was infectious, but Hermione refused to laugh with him.

When he finally stoppe laughing long enough to form coherent sentances, he spoke.

"Don't you think you're overreacting?" He finally asked.

"What?"

"I mean, put yourself in my position," he suggested, "You have everyone hating for things you have no idea you did. You were literally taken out of your life and put into a different time. You don't know anyone except for the one person you hate. No one even has the manners to not point."

At her silence, he asked, "So don't you think you're overdoing it?"

"I'll happily trade with you," she ended up saying. That wasn't what he expected and it took him a short second to get his bearings.

"What?"

"You have a second chance, to do whatever you want," she explained, "You get to redeem yourself. You get to create a whole new person and no one except that one person you hate would ever know. I'd love that."

"What on Earth would you have to redeem yourself for?"

"Your first change can be to stop being nosy," she replied.

~-0-~

"Have you been crying?" Draco whispered to her later when she fell into the seat next to him. He whispered because he knew better than to bring attention to that fact in the Teacher's lounge.

"No!" she snapped, but then softened, "Why?"

"Your face is puffy and red and your hair somehow looks worse than it did first year," he replied.

"You really know how to make a girl blush, don't you, Ferret?" Hermione muttered, quickly fixing herself up.

"Why were you crying?" he asked, leaning closer so that no one else could hear.

"I wasn't," she said, a bit too quickly.

"Yes, you were."

"No, I wasn't."

"Yes."

"No."

"Yes."

"No."

"No."

"Yes." Hermione hissed at her own mistake.

"Aha! So you were!" Draco said in victory, and then lowering his voice, "Why were you crying?"

"It's not your concern," she replied. He didn't say anything more on the topic but changed subjects.

"Can I borrow your office sometimes?' he asked.

"What? Why?" she said, leaning over and grabbing the newspaper from his hands.

"Evas and Mini-Snape are going to be staying in my office now, so can I please use yours?" Hermione didn't miss the flinch when Draco said 'please.'

"Fine," she ended up saying, knowing full well it wouldn't go over nicely. But if Draco said please, then he really must have wanted some office space.

"I thought McGonagall said she would be making some arrangements for the coming people?" Hermione asked after skimming the newspaper and finding nothing noteworthy.

"There's more than enough empty female staff rooms for any women that arrive," Draco responded, "Sluggie is also giving up his office, Riddle's office will also be used, Flitwick is too, and someone else. Hopefully that's all that's needed."

"What are they going to do bout Mini-Snape?" Hermione asked, "And everyone else when they arrive? Vector was the only teacher who wouldn't be here this year..."

"I don't know, Granger" Draco said, sighing, "How would I know? They don't tell the assistant everything..."

"Right..."

~-0-~

Tom was just finishing unpacking his things when the blonde came back to the room.

"You know where Snape is?" Draco asked. Tom had to admire his skill At hiding his fear, but it was all too obvious with the clenched jaw and stiff arms.

"He went with Slughorn," Tom replied. "Probably to the Potions lab..."

"Ah, okay," Draco said, and Tom turned hiss aback so he could finish unpacking. But the grandson of Abraxas still didn't leave.

"Anything I can help you with?" Tom said slowly.

"Hm? No, this is my office- I just need to get a few things and move them."

Tom could hear Draco moving around behind him and summoning a few house-elves.

"Take these to Granger's office, Filly," he heard the blond say, "Put them in a neat pile-don't let this bother any of her own things."

"Of course, Professory Draco, Filly does them right away," the house-elf replied, "Right away!"

"You too, Izzy."

"Yes, sir! Izzy helps Filly!" And with that, Tom heard the two cracks signaling the exit of the two elves.

"You know their names?" Tom asked, turning.

"What?" Draco didn't even look up from the book in his hands. "Yeah, Hermione's got this spew thing that she pulled me into. It's stupid- something about liberating house-elves I think... Anyway, she made me remember all of their names..."

"Spew?"

"Yeah,, it stands for society of something for elf well being or something like that," he said, distracted by whatever he was reading, "People are only members just to get her off their back... She's trying to get us to set our elves free now... Yeah right..."

"She bothers with that stuff?"

"Try and name one thing that she doesn't bother with..."

Author's Note: sorry for the long delay! I haven't had much access to a computer Defoe anything but homework... This was actually typed on my phone as I wait for a plane -_- I'm actually in an airport right now...

Anyway, that's the reason for any weird typos. Just tell me about them in a review and I'll fix it ASAP :)

So, how was it? The school year starts in the next chapter or two, and that's when my favorite part begins!

More one-sided Dramione, and a bunch of Tomione interaction (well, more than in previous chapters!). An emotional Hermione, kind Draco, and kind of OC Tom. I'll make him more evil soon, he's just out of his element right now ;)

Review please! They only make the next chapter better!

Till next chapter,

*Star*